Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan has indicated there will be an allowance within the draft regulations for people to continue to burn turf in rural areas where there is not a risk of pollution. The proposed ban on the commercial sale of turf will also exempt gifting or sharing between families or neighbours.
This will apply in areas with a population of under 500 people.
Laois-Offaly TD Barry Cowen has circulated a response to the Minister which has called for the retention of options to buy turf from local commercial cutters. He said the updated proposals are not adequate and fail to protect many vulnerable households. He commented that the proposals “do little to assure many vulnerable households, who can’t unfortunately move at the pace of transition we’d like, of our understanding of their predicament”.
The plan has sparked discontent within the coalition with Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar insisting the ban had not been agreed and would be paused.
The Department of the Environment is apparently working on draft regulations on a clean air strategy including a nationwide ban on smoky coal. However, it seems the regulations would also include a ban in September on the sale of commercial turf. It is understood that enforcement of the ban would be done on the basis of air quality measurements.
Many people believe that now is not the time to introduce prohibitions on the sale of turf when the cost of living is so high.